#Ixalan

[witnesstheabsurd]

[Gishath, Sun's Avatar]

Proxy I was commissioned to produce for a client

[akreon]

Kay art I had the pleasure to create for The Lost Caverns of IXALAN by Wizards of the Coast.

[jasper-the-menace]

We have reached catastrophic blorbo levels

[reuxben]

Here’s our MTGinktober for “Sun,” starring Huatli, the Sun's Heart and Elspeth, Sun's Champion! I guess nobody wanted to hear her flappin', double slappin', no-nappin', scrappin', unflappable slam poetry--tough crowd.

Click this post’s Source link for this piece’s Making-Of.

More MTGinktober here.

Daily art updates on Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky.

Reuxben

[dusk-legion-diplomacy]

God Speaks

A fragile quiet that had fallen over Torrezon. After almost a year spent in reconstruction, it finally felt as though the continent was going to stabilize. New methods for cleansing the ground of oil were being developed, uneasy bonds were being formed... perhaps life without war was possible.

That ended with the coming of dusk. That ended when the screaming began.

That ended with but one sentence echoing through the souls of every vampire across the continent.

My children. It is time.

History will remember the beginning of the Age of Ever-Flowing Blood beginning with slaughter. Dozens cascaded into hundreds of lives lost during the first call. Nobles, clerics, even some of the paladins all fell that night, giving in to their worst instincts. They pounced and chased and devoured the humans that they were supposed to protect, eyes wild, their true god having returned to them. Exultation and fervor burned within them all.

And that is when the Legion responded in kind.

Paladins, long trained and honed in the art of resisting the influence of the Betrayer of the Night, began to intervene. Although they could not stop the initial frenzy, swift action would ensure thousands would not follow. Clerics joined them, binding and breaking the influence the fell god held over their brethren if they could, or deposing them as necessary.

Across the continent, a silent war would rage. The Legion and Church had known this day would come and stood ready to face it. Humans would begin seeing themselves evacuated from their homes with little explanation before explanation would come find them. There was little protesting after such events.

Escorts guarded by paladins and priests of all ranks and orders within the Legion brought them to some of the most fortified cities of Torrezon. Thousands would be moved to Alta Torrezon. It was easier to guard them, even if it did make these places targets. Better here than scattered.

Within the greatest and grandest cathedral in the heart of the continent, the silent war raged.

It is time to embrace who we were meant to be.

Bishops turned against their flocks, only to be stopped by those deemed lesser in rank. Many began crying about a promised end of days. None of their words were answered or argued. It was known that logic would not be what would win them the night.

It is time to throw off these embers of humanity. Embrace your nature! Embrace the beast within! The night is ours, my children!

The cathedral was full of the sounds of shouting and combat. Divine light flashed, weapons cut, bodies were slammed into the beautiful stonework. It was unknown among those fighting who would prevail. For a time, those fighting under the Church thought they would lose.

Saint Elenda ensured that would not happen.

Records of that evening would vary wildly from witness to witness. For those who fought the corruption of the Great Enemy, they felt an impregnable barrier form. They felt the warmth and touch of the divine that they had served for their entire lives, and many wept at how close they had come to losing it. Some had sworn they saw a glimpse of a second sun beginning to rise and set the sky alight with a cleansing fire before they too were consumed. Others said she was an avatar of fury and vengeance, forcing all who stood in her way to bend to her will.

The Great Enemy's influence was strong, but so long as the living Saint remained, his hold upon the vampires of Torrezon was limited. He knew this. She knew this. All knew how this was going to end.

The Pontifex struggled that night. When the first call came, he had called for himself to be restrained before he did something he would regret. He felt that deep hunger, that primal and blessed madness that had infested him ever since he felt the Rite, grow and thrash within the confines of his soul. He felt his mind begin to break and weaken, began to feel comfort in the whispering that called to him from a god - his god - and felt a large abyss begin to open and swallow him whole.

You will be free, my child. Let go.

He wanted to. Oh, how badly he wanted to. But something within him began to burn brighter than the influence of his more... destructive nature.

"We will be better!" he shouted. "We will not be our worst instincts!"

Power grew within him, and he felt himself claw his way out of that infinite abyss, yelling his defiance all the while. He screamed for what felt like hours. He tasted copper in his throat. The ones binding him did not once falter or let go. They had been ready for this eventuality. He was only released with the coming of the dawn.

The sun broke over the horizon, the skies turning from midnight to orange, beginning to reveal the breadth of the full carnage. Those who had been taken by madness retreated to darker places, harried by their once-brothers-in-arms.

Some would be able to recover. Some would return to the light and never look back. Others were not so lucky; they were the ones who were given mercy killings. Humans across the continent wanted answers, and the clergy began to respond. For the first time in months, conviction strengthened their voices, filling them with righteousness.

War had come to Torrezon. Horror had come to Torrezon.

But so long as the Legion could stand, the New Age never would.

---

Far off in the northernmost coasts of the continent, sequestered within a massive seaside cave, a god rested upon folded wings. Crimson bathed its face. The smell of iron was strong.

A new group of vampires had knelt before their sire, ready to receive his blessing.

The god looked to his chosen saint and herald. A grin was on her face. The god could not help but smile too.

War had come to this world. The end had finally come.

Wings flexed. Fangs were bared. Only one goal consumed the god now.

I'll eat the sun.

[xochilexart]

Poet of Unity

I was feeling particularly Mexican on this day

[vcreatures]

This terror of the skies was inspired by all the incredible Magic the Gathering illustrations I’ve been seeing. While I didn’t work on any of the current card illustrations I did work on the MMO Action RPG Magic: Legends as a contributing concept artist. It was one of the highlights in my artistic career that I am forever grateful for. 

Ixalan was one of the projects I worked on and the Aerosaur was a particular favorite of mine. This is a bit of a reimagining to the original Aerosaur design. More avian vs overtly dinosaur. 

[grimecrow]

Just a reminder to all MTG fans...

If you were around during Ixalan you will know that this won't be the first time that Jace will spend most of a set's story not wearing pants.

[littjara-mirrorlake]

Better than Gaea's Cradle on account of the little guys

look at em!!

[relentless-gruul-siegeseer]

Jasna lands in the Legion camp her wings kicking up a swirl of fallen leaves and startling some legionnaires.

You the lot from Ixalan right? Where's that wholesome pair of gay lovebirds? I got potions and healing to administer and manors to wreck!

@dusk-legion-diplomacy

[bace-jeleren]

Jace and Vraska in the beginning of Ixalan:

[mtg-cards-hourly]

Verdant Sun's Avatar

"Ixalli's fertile rays enliven us all. Each of us is a testament to the sun's strength and love." —Chitlati, Lightning Rider

Artist: Izzy TCG Player Link Scryfall Link EDHREC Link

[femmchantress]

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a Magic card that’s left me so awestruck before

[revanezendikar]

Happy Pride Month ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Saheeli x Huatli💙💚

(My second favorite MTG couple 😍)

[reuxben]

Here’s our MTGinktober for “Uncharted,“ starring Amalia Benavides Aguirre and Cartographer! Rest assured, it'll get charted, The Maponistas are on the case.

Click this post’s Source link for this piece’s Making-Of.

More MTGinktober here.

Daily art updates on Instagram, Twitter, and Bluesky.

Reuxben

[sylvan-librarian]

Jace after waking up on Ixalan with his memories scrambled and no survival skills: